Day One Hundred and Two - Clue, "Communism is just a Red Herring"

There is something just so infinitely pleasing about Clue.

What could have been a travesty of an example of Hollywood mining the kids games and shows of yesteryear (GIJoe, Battleship, Transformers), was given such sterling treatment in terms of concept, writing, and quality actors.

I mean, seriously... Madeline Kahn? Christopher Lloyd? Michael McKean?

Tim Curry, for crying out loud!

If I were to criticize anything about the casting, I'd be left only with Lee Ving as Mr.Body. He really isn't convincing either as the king of a blackmailing ring or a butler in his own right, but maybe that's just me.

I suppose they were just going for as oily a character as they could make for the fifteen or so minutes he's onscreen before someone in the house makes him the requisite murder victim we all knew he'd be from the game.

Anyways, the basic premise is that of the board game with a few twists to make rational the liberties taken with the game's names and scenarios.

A group of six men and women, from differing professions, backgrounds, and means, and known of whom know each other, all come together for a dinner party where they are invited to confront the person who has been blackmailing them individually. They are served dinner, treated to the revelation of their own shames, and shown the administer of their misfortune... and then the murder begins.

Now, that sounds dark, but it's really a rather lighthearted affair because, despite the seriousness of the situation as nerves begin to crumble and bodies stack up, just about every line is embedded with amusing snark and there's just the right amount of whimsy and slapstick.

As far as comedy goes, you can never go wrong with Clue.

All of the main ensemble and a good many of the victims (that's right, victims, plural) have golden moments of sarcasm, innuendo, or just outright buffoonery, but you never feel like any of it is forced or hackneyed.

Whether it's Col.Mustard being outwitted by everyone in the room or Professor Plum's lustiness, Mrs.White's black widow routine or Mr.Green's cowering dorkiness, each actor plays their archetypes with such comedic aplomb that I cannot help but memorize their lines, intonation and all, and play the fool right along with them.

The standout for the film is, of course, Tim Curry as Wadsworth the Butler. Sure, everyone is spot on perfect, but he all but steals the show from the rest of the cast. Where they are all immaculate cogs in the murder-mystery machine, he is at the helm and drives the entirety of the film.

This is, for me, Tim's finest role. While I love Rocky Horror to death, it's not even close to as neat, tidy, funny, and consistent as Clue.

The entirety of the film gels in such as way as to beg perfection. It's only real issue is that it's never quite cinematic. It feels more like a stupendous bit of theater that just happens to have been put to film.

Maybe that's due to there only really being one location and being a one-trick genre pony that is just so darn clever and appealing, but still, I'd be hard pressed not to nominate this film for Best Comedy and Screenplay.

Speaking of theater, I've seen rumblings online that someone has managed to make a stage production of the film. Boy, would I love to see that! Hell, I'd love to produce that!

If you haven't seen Clue, put it in your queue/buy it immediately. If you have, watch it again! Set up viewings with friends and introduce it to as many Clue-virgins as you can. This is a film that is meant to be enjoyed over and over again until you almost know every line and gesture by heart. It comes with my highest recommendation and woe to the movie-lover that hates it, as I will find you and force feed it to you Clockwork Orange-style until your eyes bleed from its pure awesomeness.

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~

Day Eighty-two - The Hunt for Red October, or "Ford might be a better Jack Ryan, but he cannot beat this ensemble."

Both the books that Tom Clancy writes and the movies made out of said books have one thing in common (you know, aside from the fact that they tell the same stories)... the earlier, the better. Patriot Games was good, Clear and Present Danger not so much, and The Sum of All Fears... yikes! The Hunt for Red October was, and still is, the definite cream of the crop when it comes to Tom Clancy films.

While I do love Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan, as he has much more charisma and believability for the character than Alec Baldwin, The Hunt for Red October is, by far, the best of all the Clancy movies. There are several reasons for this, but it is primarily due to Sean Connery, Sam Neill, and the rest of the Red October's crew.

Set during the height of the Cold War, The Hunt for Red October tells the tale of the defection of the command crew of a state of the art nuclear missile submarine build for the exclusive purpose of a devastating first strike. Both the book and the film bank heavily on Cold War paranoia and brinksmanship, and play it up seriously, without all the laughable ham-fisted BS you'd usually see out of an 80's war flick (think Red Dawn or Miracle Mile).

I really like the feel of every moment in the subs, whether it was in the Red October itself (where we spend most of our time), the sonar room and main deck of the Dallas, or the tight confines of the bridge of Stellan Skarsgård's attack boat, each feels claustrophobic and genuine. This is especially true when you take in all of the props and set dressings. The Russian subs all have this air of old world class mixed with stark utilitarianism while the Dallas feels high tech and open. Even the lighting is used to great effect, the Russians all reds and yellows, the Americans all blues and tans.

What really sells the movie, though, are the actors. 

Like I said, I preferred Harrison Ford's Jack Ryan, but Alec Baldwin does a pretty good job. While I cannot believe Gates McFadden as his doctor wife (luckily, she's only there for a scene), Alec and his interactions with his American compatriots (James Earl Jones, Scott Glenn, Jeffery Jones, Senator Fred Thompson) all ring true.

Sean Connery, though, dominates this movie. He is every inch a command officer and acts it. Proud, stoic, decisive. In his opening minutes, he is mysterious... then, when he deals with his Political Officer, we see he can be brutal even as he is calm and thoughtful. As the movie progresses, we can definitely see the character that leads men and earns their devotion.

I also like both Sam Neill and Tim Curry as counterpoints for Connery, the former a true first officer and the latter duty-bound doctor. Both play their roles tremendously well. You don't feel a hint of deception from Curry even as his character wrestles with the conflicts of his orders and duty (granted, it's a small role, but he does it so well) and Sam's portrayal of Borodin makes me believe it... especially as the screws begin to turn and he starts losing his composure.

To be honest, this is how Cold War films... or any war film... should be done. John McTiernan and his crew put together an excellent piece that had great acting, fine attention to detail, and only one or two hiccups (which came in the form of a few awkward ADR moments). 

Yes, it's very pro-USA, but it didn't shy away from portraying both our military and our government as human and fallible... nor does it make the Russians out to be your stereotypical Red Menace. The closest we get to a commentary on the evils of Communism comes in the form of the political officer and his blasé invasiveness and the general purpose of a boat like Red October. Everything substantive about the film is just the cat and mouse game, not the politics.

I can definitely recommend The Hunt for Red October to just about everyone. It's solid filmmaking and storytelling and was an impeccable first entry for the franchise. A pity the follow up films didn't have the same oomph (even if Ford was a better Ryan).

Until tomorrow, Potatoes~